ASSiST – Assisted Remote Teaching in Danish Schools

Objectives

The ASSiST research project aims to make small schools larger – for instance by enabling small schools in geographically marginal areas of the country to gain flexible access to specialist teachers, and by giving schools opportunities for global collaboration, thereby helping the specialist competences of individual teachers to reach a wider audience.

The focal point of this research project is what is known as “assisted remote teaching”, which involves a teacher or educator being present with the pupils while another teacher or resource person provides virtual teaching in small sequences.

The project was set up as part of the government’s growth strategy, the aim of which is to support teaching at schools where geographical distances cause difficulties. The agreement of 9 February 2016 regarding development in the whole of Denmark states that:

There are some places in Denmark where it may be difficult to attract teachers with the right teaching competences. Remote teaching can help to strengthen the quality of schools in geographically marginal areas where it proves impossible to recruit specialist teachers in all subjects.

Sub-projects

ASSiST is based on specific trials at various Danish primary and lower-secondary schools which are involved in assisted remote teaching in various ways. The research project includes five different sub-projects in four different municipalities which use assisted remote teaching in different ways and based on different premises. ​Some of these sub-projects seek to ensure the provision of competences in geographically marginal areas; while others aim to open schools up either to a global network, or to the inclusion of the local community in teaching situations. Read more about the individual projects on the blog here: blog.